r/desifemfrag

I finally got Daring and I actually was pleasantly impressed.
I wasn’t expecting much because I’ve not found many reviews about this or heard people talk about it either. I usually associate VS with very sweet/fruity/feminine scents, but this smells way more like an actual perfume to me.

The first thing I noticed was how aromatic and bright it is. There’s a freshness in the opening, but then the woody side starts coming through and it gets warmer and more interesting. I get this slightly earthy/green thing too, but it’s not in a masculine way. It just smells…perfumey. Like properly blended and put together.

It’s also surprisingly mature for VS. Not “mature” in an old-fashioned way, just less girly and more grown-up. It feels like something I could wear during the day, but personally I think I’d reach for it more in the evening. It has enough freshness to not feel heavy, but there’s enough warmth/woodiness underneath to make it feel a little more dressed up.

For me, Daring smells like getting ready for dinner on a quiet evening, you’ve showered, put on a nice outfit, your hair is done, maybe you’re wearing a little jewellery, and you’re heading out somewhere nice but not overly formal. There’s still some brightness and freshness from the day, but the fragrance has enough woody warmth to feel more evening-appropriate.

It’s the kind of scent I imagine wearing when I want to feel polished and feminine without smelling overtly sweet or dressed-up.

And I actually think that’s what makes it stand out among VS fragrances for me. It feels less like “Victoria’s Secret body mist” and more like a proper perfume that happens to be from VS. The longevity is also decent with 6-8 hours on clothes and 4-5 hrs on skin.

Also, the bottle is gorgeous, heavy, with raw curves and has thick glass. The muted grey-green with the pink cap feels much more sophisticated than I expected.

Really glad I bought it and I feel it’s a highly underrated perfume.

Edit: removed typos

Khadlaj Cloud Candy - I absolutely love the kayali YBM DNA. Finished 2 bottles of similar DNA and got 2 more to replace them. It’s really sweet and gourmand leaning, with notes of marshmallows and strawberries. I don’t even need to explain this DNA, its so well known😭

Zimaya Fatima - I’m gonna be honest, it wasn’t love at first sniff but it grew on me and I ended up finishing the decant and getting the bottle (and an affordable version of it as well). It’s said to be a dupe for delina, but i dont know about that. This opens up with a citrusy note and the dry down has roses and vanilla. This got me into rose perfumes tbh. It’s a great everyday wear, very girlyy.

Khadlaj Shiyaaka snow - This isnt the usual scent profile that I go for but I wanted a variation in my usual sweet fragrances. This is like a spicy fresh scent, quite long lasting for a freshie. However, I realised that I dont really love the dry down. Me and my sister use it, she loves it more than I do.

Lattafa Musamam white intense - This was loveeeeee at first sniff for me. Absolutely amazing, such an elegant and sophisticated fragrance. Been complimented a lot of times. I wear this everyday to work. I have another backup bottle on the way. Opens a little citrusy, but after 5 mins it’s a little spicy and a lot of creamy sandalwood. This will always be in my collection! 11/10!

Rayhaan aquatica - Opens with zesty lemon but it goes away after 15ish mins and the dry down is absolutely amazing, like fresh baby powder. A great summer pick, very classy and clean. This could be a staple freshie in my collection.

Khadlaj Panache Angel Dust - OMG this is too good. Not everyone’s vibe but it’s very mature and elegant, with tons of vanilla. I have been complimented thrice on this. It’s the YSL vanille couture DNA with added vanilla. I havent smelled vanille couture so cant say much about it being a dupe, but if you like YSL libre, then give this a try. Another staple in my collection. 10/10

Frosted coconut snowball - Now I know this is not a perfume, but this is another fragrance that made me love it at first sniff. I expected it to be very gourmand, but it opens fresh and settles into creamy coconut. A very good option in budget.

I didnt use chatgpt to write all this, so ignore if you notice any mistakes😭

Recommend me Feminine Middle eastern Fruity floral or Floral or Gourmand or any Summer perfume that LAST REALLY LONG & HAVE GREAT PROJECTION.

P/S- I hate Lavender,Chocolate & Coffee, Jammy or spicy Rose.

THEY HAVE TO LAST LONG & PROJECT. This is the Main condition. Also, lmk frags that u used but didnt last on u at all.😭😭😭

My sister is visiting the westside store tomorrow. So , I need perfume reccos from you guys , so that she can bring them for me ☺️. I usually like sweet, gourmandy, fruity , fruity floral , fruity fresh , white florals based , coconut based , clean skin musky scents. The ones I don't like are lemony fresh ,oud heavy and spicy scents. Please help 😊

Heyyyy so I recently bought nyka moi joie de vivre and that smell isn't for me at all 😭 I HATED IT SO MUCH also it was expensive as hell so now I can't even buy any expensive perfume so for a person on a budget are these perfumes good?

Also if anyone has other recommendations please do lmk! Budget : preferably under 500-1000rs and hopefully it doesn't have notes of moi joie de vivre! (I like woody or floral scents not rose and jasmine though!! Even vanilla and fruity is good!)

Ajmal white oud is all over my insta and YT feed off lately and ngl , the way influencers are describing it , I am tempted towards buying it !! I am neither an oud nor a citrus loving person but the internet is describing it as this clean , musky , sophisticated kinda fragrance. I am confused affffff !!! So , please tell me , what does this actually smells like 🫠 what's the dry down like ?? I need various and honest opinions of people here , reviews that sound different from influencers , so that I can decide whether to put my money on it or not . I will be buying the mini 30 ml bottle tho .

Pls guys don’t come at me for asking this … but I really need a dupe for this… why … coz i entered the chanel outlet 4 months back and as i tested it some nostalgia hit me up and i liked it so so much …so i thought of buying it … got it … then returned it .. coz it straight up smelled like almond oil… now after months its still stuck in my head the rose and jasmine ,the aldehydic vintagy and soapy smell and i really want a dupe that smells the same heart and dry down macerated version of it which i can get a whiff of when i want to again hit that nostalgic feeling… but for it I don’t really want to spend much as to buy it again… so i am looking for a nearest dupe that i can get easily in india… my budget is near 2k for this…pls help out🥲

(Photo from Google)

So I tried Lattafa Dalal today and I’m so glad I didn’t blind buy this beautiful full bottle. I’ve tried the original it’s based on (Paco Rabanne Million Gold For Her EDP) and remember finding the fragrance quite nice.

However, this was nearly a year ago and clearly my preferences have changed since then.

Will preface the following by saying this is not a review, just a rant fuelled by a raging headache and mild resentment towards perfume as a concept.

The top notes of Lattafa Dalal are Golden Delicious Apple and mandarin. Heart notes are ylang-ylang, jasmine and orange flower. Base notes are vanilla, musk and oakmoss.

Dalal smells very cohesive and perfumey to me. I’m unfortunately unable to detect specific notes in this perfume except that it’s broadly a fruity-floral gourmand. I literally did ONE spray and ended up with a headache within minutes. One spray. That’s all it took.

This has jasmine in it, which I’m guessing is the culprit because jasmine and I have a long-standing personal feud. I almost never do well with fragrances containing it, yet somehow I keep finding myself in situations like this. At this point, I need to start treating “jasmine” on a notes list as a threat rather than information.

I still think the perfume smells nice though! Just very much not something for me. Dalal smells elegant and is perfect for professional settings when you want to smell put-together.

If you can handle strong perfumes like Prada Paradoxe Intense, the Libre DNA, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, Giorgio Armani My Way, etc., this is definitely something you should try. Dalal clearly needs a stronger soldier than me.

Every time I try a fragrance that gives me a headache, it temporarily puts me off perfume altogether. I was planning to review a few fragrances this week but honestly, I now want to practise social distancing from my entire perfume collection for a day or two because this headache is never-ending.

I tried washing it off a couple of times and I can still smell the fragrance in the air. Hours later. 😭

Anyway, Dalal: 1. Me: 0.

Point to be noted something which I can use for everyday, I get headaches if I smell strong fragrance

These are both fragrances that inevitably are in any of top 10 designer perfumes list you have come across in the past 2-3 years.

This review is for the prada paradoxe edp and the ysl libre edp. (not the flankers)

Backstory - I had earlier blind bought the libre la parfum and Prada paradoxe intense and i reacted so badly to both that i had to sell them off 🤦 So logically i shouldn't be in the same pincode as their mother but then intelligent decisions are not my forte. After scrolling through yet another reel hyping them, i decided to get the OG formulations because spending money needlessly is the secret weapon to convince myself that my life is under control. How did they fare? Let's find out

Both are FABULOUS. ❤️❤️ Seriously go for the og edp versions bec the intense/la parfum/ extra unicorn versions are not for Indian weather with our heat and humidity. They feel cloying and heavy. The original edps for lack of a better term, rock!

... Initially people will be able to smell them on you as soon you enter the room before they turn milder and closer to you (though never a skin scent)... You don't need a lot... 3-4 sprays of prada and 2-3 of libre is enough... They both last for a good 5-6 hours on my skin and i can still catch a sniff of them on my clothes after a full day.

.... There is just one problem............ .........

🌷 The notes for ysl libre are Lavender, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Vanilla, Mandarin, Musk

🌷 The notes for prada paradoxe are Neroli, Amber, White Musk, Pear, Tangerine, Jasmine, Vanilla

Hmmmm.... Can anyone see any overlap? Can you? Can you? ... Review in short, They both smell bloody same 😭😭😭

Orange vanilla. That's their common DNA. Orange-y White florals on top. Vanilla and musk in the base. If you spray both on one hand each and sniff them one after the other, your nose will shut down and you will not be able to differentiate between the two. Your nose just won't cooperate. You have to sniff one, take a pause and then try the other to make out the subtle differences. They are NOT dupes yet they are so close together. It's like twin children. Both have similar origins yet they have their own personality. 😂

I googled the difference between Neroli and orange blossom and was informed that neroli has a clean, cologne-like bite while orange blossom is rich and sweet. Except in the actual perfumes, this claim is completed inverted. Prada paradoxe despite being Neroli centric is warm and soft and cozy. Ysl Libre despite being orange blossom forward has almost a cold, metallic cut. I'm figuring that lavender is the reason for this sorcery.

I also don't get jasmine as a separate note in either of them. They are both wonderfully blended in terms of how smooth they are. but you won't get a lot of change throughout the day. What you smell after say 30 mins is how they'll remain till the end while getting fainter.

If you are the kind who isn't a fan of edible vanilla gourmands and orange makes you happy then get one of these. But No need to get both. Its superfluous. They are too close together. Which one? I honestly don't know. I smell prada and think this is it. I try the libre and then think this is the one. Just try them in the mall and get whichever one strikes your heart immediately. Of the two, i personally think Prada paradoxe is a safer blind buy.

🌷🌷 Dupes/alternatives 🌷🌷

This is such a good dna that i went looking for a dupe. Because never let rationality overpower the capitalist urge for overconsumption.

Bbw petal parade is a spot on dupe for Prada paradoxe. I don't know how they did it. They probably stole the formulation through corporate espionage but they have nailed the fragrance. You can't tell the difference at all. It lasts less than 30 mins but spray liberally and often and you are good to go

Golden decade by zara is said to be the dupe of ysl libre. It is. But not immediately. Zara does have a very synthetic blast initially. Not alcoholic but artificial. Initially it will hit your memory that I've smelled it before without smelling like a perfect dupe. But the dry down is where is resembles the libre alot. Performanc is 30 - 45 mins but super economical.

These are honestly great perfumes. There is a reason why they are so so popular and some of the highest selling perfumes of the respective houses. It is a very appealing dna which is very well crafted. Maybe Not something a niche perfume lover will enjoy. They might find it generic (bec atp almost every house has something similar) but for the rest of us A+

I made a post previously asking for what discovery/trial sets would be nice to start with. I kept looking for options, reviews etc nd it was all mixed. Some sets had just one scent that I'd like and others were not very clear for me.

Somehow landed up on these options to try. I like Vanilla, coconut, lemon/citrus, strawberry (not too strong), cool ocean/aqua and milky scents.

Pls share reviews or better alternatives with similar price range for the products!

Thank u:)